Ilia Underwing vs Lateral Longhorn Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ilia Underwing Lateral Longhorn Beetle
Scientific Name Catocala ilia Mastododera lateralis
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Erebidae Cerambycidae
Size 70-95 mm wingspan 20-35 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Predators Wood Feeders
Regions Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf states Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Ilia Underwing

A large moth with bark-patterned gray forewings that conceal bright reddish-orange and black hindwings. When startled, it flashes its colorful hindwings to confuse predators.

💡

Did You Know?

It rests head-down on tree trunks during the day, where its cryptic forewings blend perfectly with oak bark.

Lateral Longhorn Beetle

A medium-sized longhorn beetle with dark elytra marked by pale lateral stripes along the sides. It has the characteristically long antennae of the cerambycid family.

💡

Did You Know?

Like many longhorn beetles, the larvae can take several years to develop inside wood before emerging as adults.